The Osceola times., 1887-10-01
ST, LOUIS CAPTURED.

The Advance Guard os ths Grand ArlRy.
together wfth Thdnsaass Of just Plain
Citizen. Capture the 'ruture Great
The City In Gala Attire To Receive 'hs
Advancing Hosts.
ST. LOUIS, Sept. 26.-The city Is taken.
The advance guard OF the conquering host
arrived yesterday morning, one contln'
gent advancing from the West and an
other from the East, the combined forces
numbering several thousand, and the city
surrendered. The throngs also OF private
citizens arriving on every train, intent ON
spending a festive week, has already h'ied
the CITY with crowd as large as
ordinarily graces the fall festivities. Nhat
IL will be by tonight when the main army
will have arrived can only be conjectured;
but certain it is that st. Louis will have
such a crowd of visitors on hand as VIII
tax Il 10 the utmost 10 care for and enter
tain.
Every thing is in holiday attire, the dec
orations, both public and private, are on
most 10 wish scale, and being in honor OF the
assembling veterans, are all OF National
character instead Of the mystic insignia
OF the Vailed Prophet. which usually at
this season adorn the city. Patriotic
notices. corps badges, welcoming greet
ings and the National colors are every
where flung To the breeze. while many
beautifully arranged illuminated designs
ON various buildings attest the desire to
d o honor to the presence in our midst OF
Nations defenders.
Miles upon miles OF public illuminating
works are in position. ready to transform
the streets at night into veritable scenes
Of fairyland, with their hundreds OF thou
sands Of brilliant aud many-colored jets,
and the handsomely decorated stands at
various points along the route Of the
grand parade lend additional brilliancy to
the general effect The piece de resistance
of the decorative work, however, is the
grand trlumphal arch, under which the
veterans will pass just before reaching
the reviewing stand. This is now com
pleted, and is a conspicuous object,
both ON account q its simple,
vet massive design, and the ar
tistic skill with which it has been
constructed. At a short distance IL ap'
pears to be solid stone structure, and as
il it might stand for ages, instead OF, as il
is, a magnificent specimen of the scene
builders art. IL appropriately decorated
with the insignia of the G.. A. r.,
and bears the implements OF grim
visaged war in appropriate group
ings, with also handsome eques-
trian portrait OF General Grant, the whole
surmounted with the representation of a
fiery chariot drawn by four spirited horses
bearing Mars, the god of war, TO the bat
tie front.
The various parks Of the city were visit
ed by thousands yesterday, who were
a.. rhak mil torx
looked like, for within them tents hav,
been pitched to accommodate from
twenty-five thousand to thirty thousand
men. These are under the charge OF
regular camp guards, detailed from the
local posts, and will doubtless be the
scenes OF many interesting gathering
during the week, though whether there
will be much sleeping done in them is ar
open question. a. the time allotted for the
stay Of the veterans will be all too shori
for many of them TO renew old acquaint'
ances and cultivate the new ones they
will make.
Much interest centers in the grand
parade to take place tomorrow, as it II
expected to be the greatest event of thu
kind in this country since the great review
in Washington at the close Of the war
Careful estimates place the number thai
will be in line at nearly 10000, and thes'
will be reviewed by an equa
numbers OF their comrades who, by reasoi
Of age and infirmlties, are unable to stan'
the fatigues Of the march. The arrange
ments for the ps -ade are Of the most per
feet description, having been made BY
men whose military training has familiar
lied them with the moving Of large bodie
| Of men. and the route has been laid out s.
| as not to unnecessarily fatigue the par
ticipants.
Mayor Francis has declared tomorrow
public holiday, and has also refused 3
grants permits TO any one to display ban
pers across the streets, limiting sue
decorations to the National colors.
The people Of st. Louis are in the mos
| hospitable mo cd, and nothing will be lef
undone to make their thousands OF visitor
feel that they have done we
in coming, and it is earnest
ly hoped on all hands that n
untoward event may come to mar the pei
feet harmony OF the occasion. with pleas
ant weather there is no doubt that s.
Louis has before her one Of the most IL
teresting weeks festivities in her history
aud the Grand Army of the Republic th
greatest reunion II ever had or ever wi
have.